


Choices

by Evil_Little_Dog



Category: Buffy the Vampire Slayer
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Community: comment_fic, Gen, Off-screen Relationship(s)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-11-11
Updated: 2016-11-11
Packaged: 2018-08-30 09:30:47
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 289
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8527936
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Evil_Little_Dog/pseuds/Evil_Little_Dog
Summary: Summary: Xander’s not jealous. 'Change One Thing' A.U. Disclaimer: Joss never writes, he never calls, but I’m just going to keep playing in his sandbox ‘til he tells me otherwise.





	

Buffy's distracted, focused on the upcoming battle. 

With Angel - Angelus - whatever he is calling himself this week. Xander shifts his weight from foot to foot, licks his lips. He wants Buffy. No, no, he wants Buffy _safe_. He wants her to be focused on this fight. He's not jealous, he tells himself, _not_ jealous of Buffy and what she has with a freaking _vampire_. He wants to encourage Buffy, keep her spirits up even if she was going to be fighting the...man-thing she loves. 

"Is there anything else?" Buffy asks him, making Xander jump at the interruption of his thoughts.

"Ah..." Xander shoves his hands in his pockets. Takes them out again. Bumps Buffy's shoulder with his lightly closed fist. "Willow says," he has to take a breath.

"Mm?" Buffy focuses on him then, intent, curious, just for a second, before she needs to leave him and go on to her worst battle ever. And Xander can't be there to protect her, not against Angel. 

He grits his teeth and blurts out, "Willow's got the spell. She can re-soul Angel. You just have to keep him off you long enough for it to work."

Her eyes sparkle for a second with a light Xander hasn't seen in far too long. Hope blooms there - and love - and Xander gulps down all the desires he's ever had when she touches his arm. "Thanks, Xan," she whispers, then, "I gotta go." 

And Xander watches as so many of his hopes and dreams walks out of his sphere, and Buffy leaves to fight Angel. He shakes his head, lets out a sigh, and heads back to Willow, where maybe, maybe, he won't try to second guess himself on what he's just done.

**Author's Note:**

> Written for Marlex's prompt, _any, any, it's amazing how better things turn out when people actually tell each other what they know_. 
> 
> ...which is kind of a lot of the issues I had with BtVS/AtS...but.


End file.
